Assigrnob to the nafziger cor



Dec. 27, 1932. R. L. NAFZIGER ELECTRIC SWITCH DEVICE 2 Sheets-SheetFiled 001;. 5, 1929 Patented Dec. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE RALPH 1..1mrz1enn, or Kansas our, mssounr, Assrenon TO THENAFZIG-ER con :eonarron, or KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION ormrssounr ELECTRIC swrron DEVICE Application filed october 3, 1929.]Serial at. 396,947.

These improvements relate to switch devices for controlling an electriccurrent.

The chief objects are to provide a highly advantageous switch mechanismof the general kind shown in my copending application Serial No.363,896, filed May 17, 1929 on controlling engines, etc. and a system orsystems employing the switch mechanism in afvehicle having an internalcombustion en- 1n'e. I g In Figure 1 of thedrawings herewith I haveshown thepresentdevice in the same engine circuit illustrated in saidcopending ap lication; p

ig. 2 is a top plan of the switchv device with the cover portion of thecasing removed;

F 3is a fragmentary view, with the casing in section, showing the actionof a handcontrolled device;

Fig. 4 is a similar fragmentary sectional view of the device turnedninety degrees on the vertical axis from the position of Fig. 3, andshowing how the circuit is broken when the parts are in the relativepositions of g- 1 I c .i

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary medial vertical ,section of the device orientedas in Fig.4

and i with the piston rod' completely depressed; 7

Fig. 6 shows the device'inside elevation, with the casing chiefly insection, in the orientation of Fig. 3 and with the hand-control elementin retracted position;

Fig. 7 s a medial vertical sectional view showing the device turned onits axisone hundred eighty degrees from-its position in Figs. 3, 4 and5; 1 Fig. 8 shows a form of the device modified by merely reversing thecontact members so as to providea normally open circuit which is closedby the same operations which open the circuit in the other figures. Fig.1 includes the device of Fig. 8; and c Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic circuitshowing an application of the device of Fig. 7. 7

Referring to Fig. 1 the ignition circuit comprises a battery B, switchdevice S,con-

ductor 10, dash-board switch 11, conductor 12, induction coil 13,conductor 14', timer 15,

of the drawings.

and 21 (Fig. 8) are therefore to be underconductor 16 and spark'plug 17.The switch Sis to be deemed in accordance with Fig. 8 The contactmembers 20 stood as becoming separated when the driver rises from hisseat, t

According 'to some of my inventions in engine-stopping systems andaccording to other applications which may be made of such a device thecircuit will be broken instead of being completed when. the piston rodofthe switch device is pushed inward. In some" of the figures I haveillustrated the device as having a normally closed circuit,

although'by comparing F i s. 7 and 8 it will be clear that to change thedevice from a normally closed to a normally open circuit calls merelyfor the reversal of the contact members marked 20 and 21 in Fig. 8.Excepting these contact members therefore the same parts in the severalfigures will be given the same reference characters. I

Turning to Fig. 7 there is a casing 25 having an integral'top 26 withextending cars 27 for securing the device in a given position,

with ascrew-held removable bottom 28. The

us breaking 'the circuit.

bottom 28 has an integral cylinder 30 in which is a piston 31 carried atthe-end of a piston rod 32, with a cap 33 screwed into the top ed and isprovided with a cylindrical screw 7 l0 adapted to control the flow ofliquid 41 through the by-pass in one direction. The outer screw 42closes the opening whereby the screw or valve is concealed.

The piston rod 32 terminates'within the casing 25 and has rigidlysecured at its top a plate 44 the shape of which is seen in Fig. 2.

The coil spring 45 bearing against the plate i l-and against the cap 33forces the piston rod upward. The piston rod is forced downward by theplunger 47 passing through the boss 48 in the cover 26 and having at itslower end a plate 49 which serves as a stop to limit the outwardmovement of the plunger 47, the coil spring 50 bearing against the head51. normally forcing the plunger 47 outward.

\Vhen the plunger 47 is forced inward the motion is communicated to thepiston and the liquid below it is forced to some extent through theby-pass 37 but chiefly through the automatic one-way ball valvecontrolled duct 39. whereby the piston may move fairly easily andrapidly in the inward direction. At the end of that piston movement theliquid body is therefore above the piston. When the plunger 47 is thenpermitted to be retracted by its spring 57, as by the drivers gettingoff the seat in Fig. 1, the spring 45 on the piston rod forces thepiston upward. The time required for the piston to make its upwardstroke will depend upon the effective cross area of the by-pass 37,which is at the valve or screw 40. This time may be varied as desiredwithin fairly wide limits. In connection with an engine control circuitas in Fig. 1 the driver will ordinarily be allowed some small number ofminutes after leaving his seat before the engine will be stopped throughthe breaking of the circuit in the device of Fig. 8.

The plate 44 at the top of the piston rod carries rigidly, in downwardlyextending position as the device is shown, a member 55 adapted tocontrol the spring contact members 20 and 21 in Fig. 8 and and 61 insome of the other figures. The V-shaped engagement part 56 of one ofthese contact members is in the downward path of movement of the controlmember 55. In order that this control member 55 may always move in adefinite path there are guide means shown as a rod 57 secured to the topwall 26, the plate 44 sliding loosely on that rod. \Vhen the controlmember 55 is moved inward the part 56 is pushed aside. In Fig. 8 thislateral movement completes the circuit while in Fig. 7 it breaks thecircuit. Fig. 5 shows how the circuit is maintained open at 60 and 61 atall stages of the downward movement of the piston rod. Fig. 7 shows howthe circuit automatically closes when the piston has moved to the end ofits outward stroke. In Fig. 8 that same movement automatically opens thecircuit.

The construction thus far described would be sufiicient if it weremerely desired to operate the contact making members by moving theplunger 47 inward, with delayed-action means for restoring the contactmakers to normal position. Since. however. the present device isintended. as one of its uses. to control the ignition circuit ofautomobiles and trucks. to prevent their idling unduly when the driveris absent from the vehicle, and

since many of such trucks are not equipped with electric starters butstill depend upon a crank atthe front of the engine. I have providedmeans for operating the contact makers from the front of the vehicle sothat the driver may start the car from that position.

To this end I provide what is known as a- Bowden control 65 having aspring rctracted push button 66 extending outward beyond the radiator67. the push rod (35a of the Bowden control being connectedt o a dog 68pivoted at 69 to the top wall of the casing 25. This dog 68 has apointed end portion 68a directed toward a gap 70 between the head 71 andthe body of the control member 55, the head 71 being at the end of a rod72 having at its upper end a plate 73, while the spring 74 operates todraw the head 71 upward.

It will be noted from the several figures that the head does not comeout flush with the operative side surface of the control member.55, butit extendslaterally far enough to push aside the V-shaped part 56 of thecontact maker.

Looking at Fig. 6 it will be noted that the point 68a 1s ready to enterthe gap 70. It may be caused to enter that gap by ushing uponthe'but-ton 66. The pointed element 680 is wedge-shaped to such effectthat when it is forced into the gap 70 the head 71 is forced downward.Fig. 4 shows it so forced downward and as having forced the V-shapedextension 56 of contact maker 60 away from contact maker 61, thusbreaking the circuit in that arrangement. In Fig. 8 the same downwardmovement of, the head 71 would make contact. The light-tension spring 74tends to withdraw the head 71 upward, but a slight recess in the head 71where the V-shaped element 56 engages it retains the head 71frictionally in its position shown in Fig. 4.

Assuming the device of Fig. 8 to be shown in Fig. 1 the movement of thehead 71 by the Bowden control causes the circuit to be comleted, andtherefore the car may be started y cranking. Thereupon the driver takeshis seat in the car and this action pushes downward the plunger 47andthat pushes downward the control device 55. The device 55 now pushesthe V-shaped spring element 56 farther aside than it was pushed by thehead 71, and so the head 71 is released and its spring 74 retracts it tonormal position. The spring on the Bowden control retracts the dog 68 assoon as the operators hand is removed from the push button.

In Fig. 9 I have shown a system in which the normally open seat switch(shown diagrammatically) is to be assumed to be in accordance with Fig.7. The ignition circuit, including the spark plug 91, is completedthrough conductor 92 of the double pole relay 93. The switch 90 is openwhen the driver is seated, but when the circuit through the seat switchis closed, as when the driver rises from and departures from what isthus specifically r-Iclaimz illustrated and described herein as fallwithin the scope of the appended claims.

1. In an automobile or the likehaving an internal combustion engine, anignition circuit therefor and a drivers station, the combinationtherewith of a switch device under the control of the presence of aperson in said station for controlling said circuit, with means foroperating the switch device at a place remote from said station andindependently of the presence of a person thereat.

2. In an automobile or the like having an internal combustion engine, anignition circuit therefor, and a seat for the driver of the vehicle, thecombination therewith of a switch device normally operated to controlthe circuit by the weight of a person on said seat,

with means for operating the switch device at a place remote from saidseat .to control the circuit when said seat is not occupied;

3. In an automobile or the like having an internal combustion engine, anignition circuit therefor, and a seat for the driver of the vehicle. thecombination therewith of means normally dependent upon the presence of aperson on said seat for rendering thecircuit operative to run theengine, said means being normally operative to stop the enginevwhen thepersons weight is removed from the seat,

with means for rendering the circuit operative to run the engine for alimited time when the persons weight is removed from the seat.

4. In an automobile or the like having an internal combustion engine, anignltion circuit therefor and a drivers station, the combinationtherewith of a switch device under the control of the presence of aperson in said station for controlling said circuit, with means foroperating the switch device at a cuit by the weight of a person on saidseat,

with means for operating the switch device 7 at a place remote from saidseat to control the circuit when said seat is not occupied, togetherwith means for rendering said lastmentioned means inoperative to controlthe circuit when the driver again occupies said seat.

RALPH L. NAFZIGER.

